Steering wheel



ocr. 16, 1923.l www@ J, VONS STEERING WHEEL Filed Sept. l2 1921 2 Sheets-.Sheet l rraA/EK oci. 16, i923. M70-m4 J. VONS STEERING WHEEL Filed Sept. l2. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Fatentedct. llg. Y.

Jonnvoris, or LAKnwoonoHro..

'n y s'rnjnnrne WHEEL.

Appiicaun measeptmber 12, 1921 serial up. :reassess To aZZ wz0m z'mayco'nfcernff y y 'Be it/'knownthat I, Jol-IN VoNs, a citizen ofthe United States, resident of Lakewood,

county fof-` Cuyahoga, Y and `,State of 'l Ohio,` have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering Wheels, of which the following is a speciiication, the principle of the invention being 'herein explained and the bestinodeyk in which I have contemplated'applying that principle, so'asto distinguish it from other inventions. Y ,ff l

llilyfinvention relates tofwheel locks, and particularly to key-operated apparatus' 'of this character designed for use,y withy the steeringwheels ot automobiles. `The invention' visdesigned? to provideiineansbf this Y character which shall be economical, quick-ly and easily operated byan authorized person,

diicult to operate byone notjso authorized,

and which cannot rea'dily'beputuout of commission.

The annexed drawingsand'the following description set forth in detail certainmeans n 'Figures f5' andy 6 represent,lrespectively,

' with the assembly' shownfin; l*`i,g,furfes v l, 2

embodying /Inyff invention, v the disclosed means, however, constituting 'but oneof the various mechanical forms inwhich tht-jprinfV ciple of the invention may be employed.

Y In said annexed drawings: l f

Figure l represents a verticalsection of my invention, taken inthe plane indicated by the lineI-Q, Figure l0, and showing the several elements or' my improved look inthe positions which theyoccupyfwhen the steering wheelis operative; "y

Figure 2'is a view vsinnlartoFigurel of the parts when the steering wheel isinopcraf Figure 3 Visv a vertical sectie-@taken in the l plane` indicated by the linelll-*IIFFigure 10,"the severalparts being'relativelysoaol-y justed that the stee'ringvwheelfis operatiye;

F figure il is a fragmentary verticalsection showingfa'V modified Construction utilized when: the `control levers of the automobile are ditferentlydisposed than those utilized andV 3;"

aI plan View anda 'Aside elevation of a. lifting cani formingone of vtheelernentsof my provedfiock; i Figures V7.

yth'e'line X,-X, Figure l XI, Figure 2; yand and 8 vrepresent. fragmentary vertical sections'fthrough'oneend 'ot a jlolr-` inggpaw-l 'forming ene 'ofy the elements oitl ,myA lock, the same being taken", respectively, in

tlie'planes indicated bytheline VII-VII, Figure l() and the line r`VHF-VH1, Fign urell;r ll Figure 9 representsa fragmentary vertical section showing the other end of said locliindicated by the line Figure l1;

yFigures l0 and 1l 'represent plan sections, taken in the respective planesindicated 'by and thejline' XI` Figures yl2k and 13 represent, respectively,

aside 'elevationp'and a plan view, upon a smaller scale,v of steering wheel equipped o withmy improved.lock.A C f, Referring to the annexed drawings, in

160 f ing pawl,fthe same beine takeninthe plane which the several elements are designatedby views, ka conventional steering wheelis indicated bythe ordinal lhavingspiderarms upon the steeringY post 3. Certain'elements the saine respectiveordinals in the `ditleient -2 by which my yimlnjoved lool; ismounted of the lock,- hereinafter Vfully described', areV rotatably secured to the post 3 byineansr of a key 4. A nut` 5, and a shoulder 1'( `lormed upon the steeringpost 3, retain `the lock against relative .longitudinal displacement.,k

Conventional' gas and spark levers are indicated by the ordina-lsb and 7.

`The inner' ends of the spider 'arms 2 are formed integral with ahub member 9, hav- `inga' recess lO-in itstop t'aceiadapted to receive a plate kllt-upon which, `and\'adjacent one side, is secured lock l2. kThebotto-ni face ofthe hub member 9 is formed with va second recessy'l receiving a plate lsecured to a centralv castinglv ormingione ofthe elements of myfimpr'ovedloclr, the plate lll y i Y being supported upon the enlarged portion 1701" the steerin'gpost' andthe casting 15 being orinedvwith a key-way cooperat ingk withthe 1lrvey-,ff/Jli.4 It will: be apparent, d

therefore,l .that the central casting ,member 15 ofthe loclris rotatably Xed tothe steel?L ingpost; vl'oththe upperplate ll and the -f lowerplate 14 are covered byy exterior hard'- f Ven'edplates land 27 respectively, said plates 16 and- 27 beingfrigidly 'secured withyf.;A

-inthehubniemberQjby means'k'of spinning j over .theuppervand lower edges YY28 andf29, k105 respectively, of saidfhub member, "as plainly y shown in Figures 1,2 and 3. 'The plate 1l is y f rigidlyy secured to'f the-lnib member 9` by f' means oflrivets 18,1 these rivetspintersecting s khues 24J; termed" in' Outwefdly' extending ,'59 key 39 for actuating the` tumbl'ersv37 inlugs 243 of the ring member 24, which lugs 243 register with vertical slots 9 formed in theinner' face ofthe hub member Itis'evident from the foregoing description that, if means opera-ted by the lock 12 be provided forV selectively rotatably seeur'in'g' together the casting 15 or parts attaehedthere-` to, and the hub member 9 or parte attached thereto, or freeing said casting and hubk member Vrotatably one from' the other, the steering Wheel 1 will, when turning, actuate the steeering post 3,01; Will turn freev about said steering' post. These means Will now be described and consist generallyl in a pinion 19 secured tothe lstem 21 ojf the locl; l2l by means of screwsy 20, a cam*` member 22 having, a gear segment 23 adaptedfto'coop'- erate with the pinionl9, and an intermediate vertically movable ring member 24 having inwardly eitendinf locking lugs 25 adapted to be moved into or out offyerticalrecesses 26 formed in the casting 15. A ring 30 is `secured'by means of rivets 31to'tl1e casting 15 and anr auxiliaryk ring 32 lies upon a shoulder 33 formed in the hub member 9, said ring 32 lying above the "ring 30 and spaced therefrom byaslight clearance indicate'dfby the ordinal 34. The purpose of this y auxiliary ring and 'the clearance area 34- k3lis to assure the positive movement of the lcam'elerne'nt 22 with the'ring 24. in the unlocked condition ot the' mechanism, so that the cam and ringymayl not be'inadvertently relativelylmoved to bring the lugs and recesses 26 into registry and thus result in the operative condition ofv the lock. .llt will be noted,V then, that the relatively moving and contacting surfaces, when the vvheel 1 is turning free otfthe steering post 3, are` the several surfaces denoted by the ordinal v35,

Figure 2.

The detailed constructionioii the elements 19, 22 and 24, together With'the construction of some otherrparts,coeoperating therewith, for effecting the'rotatable engagement and 'disengagement oi' the'wheeljl'and steering 'post 3, is as follorvsythe lock 12 is formed `with the usual barrel 36, tumbl'ers 37Vnormally actuated.V bythe springs 3 8, andV the wardly against the tensionI o-:tl the springs 3.8. When the locl'12 is locked?, kas shown in Figure 11, the parts of my Wheel-lock are in their relative free positions so that the Wheel 1 .turns independently of the steering post 3. When the lock 12'is turned by thevkey-3`9 to the positions'hown in/Figure 1, thecar'n 22-is turnedl means of the pinion 19 andthe .-*ge'ar segment 23s() that the recesses 2Gflie'v 'immediately below the,'inwardlyv extending lugs-25, whereby, underthe action of .coilV springs 40 abuttingk the vplate V1 1 a-t their Y upper ends and-.bearing at their lovver ends upon shoulders 242qrmed-in t e ring mem-` ber 24 and' interseetlng ythe holes 24', the

plate formedrin formed ures -10 and 11.-

iby ,ordinal 1,470,784Y y l ring member 24 is forceddownvvardly into the position shown inrFigure 1 and, consequently, the casting 15 Which is secured to the steering post 3 isrotatably secured to the ring 24 Which'isfrotatably secured to theY steering vvl'l'eell 1f. Positive'means 43, which will be hereinafter fully described, are also provided forholding the ring24 down in the locking position yshown in Figure l. When the hey 39 is actuatedA soas to turn the lock 12 into the position shown in vFigure 1l', the cam 22by means of bevel surfaces 42 ttor-med u on four cam segments 41 lifts the rinfr Y .u y ,a s Y 24,. through pressure upon. the inwardly eXgtendingflugs' V25.,Y to the' position shownV Figure 2. the gear members 19 and and `rthe loch/12 being so formed that the seg.n

yments 41 then 5,1 providemeans consisting of a, capl 44 and associated elementsfor protecting 1s cap 44 snugly lits ythe hardened nut 5. Th

vand rests upon r.a shoulder 1l the plate 11' andl is mounted in an annular'- groove 1,5 i formedwin theupner surfaceofthecasting 15.l Exteriorly of this cap 44, and in' the lateral tace thereof,- is a lgroove 45 adapted to receive a portion 48 of a locling/pawl 4'?v pivoted vadjacentone ofy its ends upon a rivet 46 securedv in theplate 11, as plainly shoivn in Figure 3. The means 43 for positively lock#` ing the' ring24 in the operative position of the mechanism, and heretofore mentioned, consists in an elongated end portion'forme upon' the Vlockingpayvl 47,: as plainly shown in lFigure v'10, avhich overlaps one of the inwardly extendinglugs of the ring 24, said lug being indicated-by the ordi-nal 25, Fiig y The locking portionfl` ot the pawl kk47 is,k actuated inwardly andeut-V Wardly kof the annular, groove 45 in. order to lock and` unlock the `cap 44.V When the mechanism is inits operativeposition, e., when theioperat'or is vpresent'at the.' Wheel andv can thereforelwatch` the car, the locking portion 48' of the locking p'axvl` 47 isf in: its' free position and, when the lriechanismV is in itsl inoperative position, ige., when. the ear is, left unattended, the-locking portionw48 Vof' the .pan/1.14.7 is in its.closed position. j means :torv actuating the pawl 4 7 to closed V'position consist fin :afdovvnwardlyvy beveled face 253 formed upon lone-.ofthe inwardly extending lugs v25 designatedzparticularly so that Aas the rin-g 24. is

1,470,784 A fr '9 lifted to its upward positiomshown in Figure 2, said lug 252 will force thelong arm of the pawl 47 into Vthe closed position shown in Figure 1l. The means for opening the pawl 47 are provided by Vso arranging the cam 22 that a lateral face 41', Figure 10,

of one of the upwardly extending cam segments 4l, will contact a tail piece 50 formed upon theshort arm of the pawl 47, when the Vcam 22 is beingy turned so as to, lock the mechanism, whereby the pawl 47 is turned uponthe pivot pin 46 to unlock the portion 48 of the pawl 47, as shown in Figure 10.`

Due to the fact thatthe groove 45-fis formed in the cap 44 some distance below the plane of the plate l1, and in order thatV the pawl 47 may still be guided by the lower face of the plate 1l, the longV arm of the pawl 47 is angular in cross-section consisting of an upwardly extending guiding portion 49 and a horizontally extending locking portion 48, plainly shown in Figure 8.v

The construction hereinbe'fore described presupposes an assembly of steering wheel,

gas and spark levers, etc., as shown in Figure 13. However, when the gas and spark Y levers extend upwardly beyond the post 3,

and spark levers 6 and ing, ya wheel Vproper having a hub; a llock supported yby said hub; a steering post; a member rotatably fixed to said steering post and having a plurality of peripheral `ver- 'ticalv recesses with opentops; an annular member formedwith an upwardly-extended n flange having spaced open-top recesses and i upper cam surfaces alternating with ySaid recesses; key-operated means ,forarotating f said annular member; and a vertically-movable member secured-to said huband havingv locking members adapted to engage the rst' mentioned recesses, the locking members f of o said vertically-movable. member being adapted tobe': moved by said Vcam' surfaces vt-o and from said -flange andkout of and into said second-mentioned recesses.

2. An'automobile steering wheel comprisi, ing, a `wheel yproper having a hub; a lock f supported by said hub; a steeringpost; ya member rotatably fixed to said steering post and having peripheral vertical recesses with open tops; a cover plate fittedv within said hub, said plate, ysaid' rotatable member and saidvhub providing air enclosed chamber;,an

annular member supported in said chamber andOrmed y'with an upwardly-extendedVV flange having spaced open-top recesses and.

.upper cam surfacesV4 alternating kwith said recesses; keyoperated means" for f rotating saidy annular member; a second annular memberhaving inwardlyeextending. locking` ymembers adapted toengage the lirst-mentioned recesses, said last-mentioned annular kmember being" vertically 'l movable in said 5 o chamber, said'lo'cking members intersecting said second-mentioned recesses, said second-V mentioned annular-member having also "outwardly-extende'dV ears .formed with kenlarged holes; bolts vsecured to said plate at 'their top ends andV to said hub at their bottom` ends and intersecting said holes;andmeans normally holding said last-mentioned annu- -lar member in its lowermost'position.

3, An automobile steering wheel' compris post; acentral member rotatably fixed to said steeringpost; acap extended through and upwardly of said plate; means Vsecured within lthe hub andr below saidplate for lockingkan'd lunlocking' said cap and lreyoperated means adapted to actuatethe cap-` v vlocking means and to lockt and unlock said 'hub and said central member.V 'n n 'e Signed by me .this ,6th day of Septemf ber,"g192l.` y v y JoHNvoN's.

ing, a wheel `.proper having a hub; a coverf i plate securedy within said hub; a steering 

